Apparatus for grading leather, etc.



Feb. 7, 1939. E. G. WILSON 7 2,145,277

I I APPARATUS FOR GRADING LEATHER, ETC

. Filed May 25, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES E. ca. WILSON Feb. 7,1939 APPARATUS FOR GRADING LEATHER. ETC

Filed May 25, .1955 e Sheefs-Shwt 2 6 SheetsSheet 3 mmf/vfoef E. G.WILSON Feb. 7, 1939.

APPARATUS FOR GRADING LEATHER, ETC

Filed May 23, 1955 F eww E. G. WILSON Feb. 7,1939.

APPARATUS FOR GRADING LEATHER, ETC

Filed y 25, 9 5 s Sheets-Sheet 4 irvvNToR.

Feb. 7, 1939.

nu l I all Feb. 7, 1939,

HHHHB E. G. WILSON 2,146,277 APPARATUS FOR GRADING LEATHER, ETC

Filed y 25, 1955 e sheets-sheet 6 w [TA/5.955s

IN VE IV 7' OR Patented Feb. 7, 1939 APPARATUS FOR GRADING LEATHER, ETC.

Evan George Wilson, Blundellsands, near Liverpool, England ApplicationMay 23,

1935, Serial No. 22,945

In Great Britain June 2, 1934 9 Claims.

This invention relates to the grading or selection of leather and othersuitable materials or substances in sheet form (all hereinafter forconvenience, referred to as leather), and has for its object to provideapparatus whereby such sheets which are of varying thicknessesthroughout, may be measured and the thicknesses of each individual sheetindicated or charted at convenient steps or stages of the measuring, soas to enable or permit, in a ready and convenient manner, selection ofsheets most suitable for any particular use or intended purpose.Moreover, the apparatus is capable of large output capacity andoperation by unskilled or semi-skilled labor, and issimple andaccessible in construction and of neat and compact design.

Grading or selecting apparatus, according to my invention, ischaracterized in that it includes feeler elements adapted to operateupon the leather and a graduated or otherwise suitably marked chart orscale, or the like; and means between each feeler element and said chartor scale, or the like, for automatically selecting and individuallyoperating a series of indicator strips, fingers, markers, or the like,in response to the movements of respective feeler elements and in suchfashion that said markers, or the like, appear on or register withor/and mark the chart or scale, or the like, and-by observation of thevarious-readings shown by the markers-provide or/and record visualindication of the thicknesses of a sheet of material acted upon by theapparatus. Thus information as to the suitability or otherwise of asheet for a particular purpose may readily be ascertained by mereinspection of the chart or scale, or the like. The markers themselvesmay be returned to their original positions after operation by hand orby suitable delay control means.

In one arrangement under my invention, there are provided feeler wheelsor discs adapted to be yieldably and independently maintained in contactwith the surface of a sheet of leather immediately above feeding rollersor spindles protruding above a table, or the like; a bar or equivalentselector located above each feeler wheel and adapted to be reciprocatedwithin predetermined limits in a horizontal plane-and in response to thevertical displacement of said feeler wheelby mechanism operativelyconnecting the latter with said selector; means located below theselector and adapted to reciprocate the same in a vertical plane atsuitable predetermined intervals; an actuating element carried by saidselector; a scale or chart provided with a series of horizontally spacedgraduations, mounted in any convenient position with respect to saidactuating element; a series of horizontally spaced indicator strips,fingers, markers, or the like, provided with vertically spacedgraduations adapted to move in register with said horizontally spacedscale readings of the chart; and mechanical means, such, for example, asspring pawl and rack devices associated with pivotal link frame or leverstructures, whereby individual indicator strips may be longitudinallyprojected by step-motion over or in front of said chart or scale throughupward projection of said actuating element in response to verticaldisplacements of the selector which carries the latter. Preferably, aseparate indicator strip or marker is provided to co-operate with eachhorizontally spaced graduation of the scale or chart, and individualmechanical means or devices are associated with each strip or marker,such devices being conveniently arranged side-by-side above saidactuating element of the selector, so that any strip or marker may beoperated by said actuating element (which, of course, reciprocates in ahorizontal plane below said mechanical actuating devices conjointly withthe selector) according to the position of said actuating element at themoment of a vertical displacement of the selector. A suitable counter,or the like, is preferably associated with the scale or chart and whichcounter is adapted to indicate the total number of step-motions orregistrations imparted to individual strips or markers.

I will further describe my invention with the aid of the accompanyingsheets of explanatory drawings which illustrate, by way of example only,one mode of embodying same.

In said drawings:-

- Fig. l is a side sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a front view withparts broken away, of apparatus constructed in accordance with theinvention.-

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of indicating mechanism detachedfrom the apparatus, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a further enlarged side elevation of a portion of themechanism illustrated in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a front view of same witha cover plate and indicator strips removed.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional elevation (drawn to a scale similar to thatof Figs. 5 and 6) taken as on the line A-A Fig. 3 and viewed in thedirection indicated by the arrow.

Fig. 8 is a rear view, with parts broken away, illustrating the ratchetdrum and mechanism embodied in Fig. 5 for the purpose of operating theadding or totallizing device of the recording apparatus.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail elevation of an actuating arm mounted uponits selector bar, and Fig. 10 is a plan view illustrating indiagrammatic form the cam roller arrangement for operating the actuatingarms.

In the several views like characters of reference denote like orequivalent parts wherever they occur.

Referring to the drawings, l designates feeler wheels or discs rotatablymounted on lateral arm 2 of bell crank levers 2, 3 which are fulcrumedupon a common shaft 4 having its opposed ends affixed to side members 5of the apparatus. The longer upstanding arms 3 of levers 2, 3 are fittedat their upper ends with adjusting means comprising springs 6 andfloating sleeves l whereto are connected ends of horizontal link rods 8the opposite ends whereof are pivotally secured at 9 to verticallypositioned links H), which latter are also pivotally mounted upon andsuspended from a horizontal shaft ll disposed between upper portions ofside members 5. The lower ends of said links l are pivotally articulatedat 2 to lateral coupling rods [3, the other ends whereof being similarlyconnected at M to reciprocatory selector bars l each of which is adaptedto move horizontally between spaced supporting and guide rollers I 6disposed upon spaced rods ll secure-d to side members 5.

Said feeler wheels I are yieldably and independently maintained incontact with the surface of a sheet of leather passing below same underthe pressure of helical springs l8 disposed around upper portions ofguiding rods [9 which are slidably located in passages formed in blocks20 aflixed to the framework of the apparatus; said rods l9 beingpivotally connected at 2| with the outer free ends of lateral arms 2 ofbell crank levers 2, 3.

Positioned immediately below each feeler wheel I is a feeding roller 22mounted upon, and adapted to rotate in conjunction with, a horizontallydisposed driven shaft 23 which is located in bearings provided for itsreception in side members 5: said rollers 22 protrude above the surfaceof a table 24.

It will thus be apparent that the feeler wheels i will be individuallyand vertically displaced in response to varying thicknesses of a sheetpassing between same and feeding rollers 22, and, by oscillating theirrespective carrier levers 2, 3, impart, through the medium of theirassociated connecting links 8, l0 and i3, corresponding reciprocatorymotion to the horizontally movable selector bars l5.

Disposed below each selector bar [5 are pairs of oppositely rotateddiscs 25 (see more particularly Figs. 1 and fixed to shafts 26 mountedin bearings provided in side members 5. Each pair of discs 25 areprovided with crank pins 2'5 whereon are fitted rollers 28 which areadapted to simultaneously bear against and act upon the underside oftheir particular selector bar l5 and so impart vertical reciprocatorymovement to same in parallel planes.

Each selector bar I5 is successively raised by its associated pair ofdiscs 25 with rollers 28, because in their rotative order eachparticular pair of crank pins 21 are off-set for such purpose-thearrangement being as shown in Fig. 10-so that each selector bar I5 isvertically displaced in turn during a complete revolution of shafts 26which, through a train of toothed wheels 29, are caused to rotate (beingdriven by any suitable power source) in opposite direction to eachother, and lateral displacement of the selector bars I5 by the movementof the rollers 28 when raising their particular selector bar 55 isprevented. Upon one of said shafts 2Si. e. the driving shaftthere issecured a sprocket wheel 35see Fig. 2-around which is disposed a chain3! adapted to drive a sprocket wheel 32 secured to driven shaft 23 whichrotates the leather feeding rollers 22.

Carried by each selector bar 85, and preferably in an intermediateposition thereon, is an actuating or striker element 33 consisting of asmall bevel wheel or roller 34 mounted at the upper end of an arm 35which is attached at its lower end to a horizontal carrier 35 mountedupon springs 31 disposed about vertical rods 33, and to the upperportions of rods 38 there are secured ends of lateral springs 39 whichare connected to opposed sides of arm 35: thus arm of said actuatingelement 33 is rendered flexible and capable of yielding both laterallyand vertically to the requisite extent: in lieu of said roller 34 theupper extremity of arm 35 may be suitably pointed or champered.

Rollers 34 of actuating elements 33 are adapted to move underprior toengaging with-any one or" a series of parallel and horizontally arrangedguiding rails or bars 40 which are disposed immediately above saidelements 33, the side components of said bars 43 being champered attheir lower longitudinal edges 46 in order to receive thecorrespondingly shaped peripheries of the rollers 34 when engagingtherewith: said side components are spaced apart and secured together bymeans of distance pieces 40 and rivets, as illustrated more particularlyin Fig. 9.

Coinciding with said distance pieces 46* and positioned between eachbuilt-up bar 40, 40 40 are a series of spacing and guiding plates llwhich are fixed upon common cross rods M and formed with centralrecesses M in horizontal alignment with each other and also with rollers34 of actuating arms 35; said recesses 4i having' upper inclined knifeedges 4| in order to deflect the rollers 34 onto the champered edges 40of the side components of bars 40, so preventing the rollers from ridingalong said knife edges 41 if ten-ding to do so.

The ends of bars 40 are individually and pivotally connected by means ofpins 42 to the lower portions of inclined levers 43, 44 which arecentrally swivelled about respective common axes 45, 45 the upper endsof said levers 43, 44 being independently and pivotally secured by meansof pins 46 to opposed ends of connecting links 47 which ensure correctparallel movements of bars' 46 in a vertical plane upon actuation of theindividual pivotal link frame or lever structures which pivot abouttheir common axes 45, 45 by upward movement of the actuating elements 33when engage-d by the rollers 34 thereof: lower extensions 43 of levers43 are located within a common channel 48 formed in a bar 48transversely secured between side members 49 of a frame 50 provided tohouse the series of link structures. Attached to said extensions 43 oflevers 43 are ends of coiled springs 5!, opposed ends whereof aresecured to cross bar 48 in a manner that ensures the return of bars 43when operated after the descent of actuating elements 33.

Disposed about the common axis 45 and fixedly secured to levers 43 arebase portions of arm members 52 which extend upwardly at right an- 'glesfrom said levers 43 and carry at their upper extremities a series ofpivotal pawls 53 andbetween these and levers 43-a further series ofpivotal pawls 53 The pairs ofpawls 53, 53 have their lower arms 54, 54*coupled together by coiled springs 55-see Fig. --which normally andindividually maintain said arms 54 of pawls 53 against a transverselypositioned and pivotally mounted common stop bar 56 and arms 54 of pawls53 in abutment with a similar stopbar 51, said stop bars 55, 51 beingpivotally connected by means of crank arms 58 to a link 59 positionedadjacent a side 49 of frame 59: said link structure 58, 59 is operatedby a slidable handle 50 secured to an external portion of the linkstructure pivot 61.

Said handle 55 when operated moves stop bars 56 and 51 away from eachother, and another stop bar 62 attached to link 59 by means of crank arm52 is positioned against the lower ends of arms 63 of holding pawls 64pivotally mounted upona common rod 65 transversely secured to sides 45of frame 50, said arms 63 being individually held in abutment with stopbar 62 by extension springs 66 attached thereto and to a common slottedbar member 66 secured to sides 49 of frame 5!): the slots 66 of bar 55slidably house and locate arm members 52. Stop bars 55, 62 in theiroperative movement against arms 54, 63 move pawls 53, 64 out of normalengagement with the toothed rear portions of a plurali y of indicatorstrips or markers 5'! in juxtaposition with each other and independentlyand slidably mounted within a carrier frame 58 secured to sides 49 offrame 59. Said indicator strips 51,

being thus released, slide down by gravity when resetting, so that theirlower end portions come to rest upon the common bed portion of carrierframe 68. The strips 61 bear upon their upper surfaces 69 a plurality ofvertically spaced char acters or markings (not shown) which are thuscarried behind a scale or chart constituted by an index plate Illadjacent a transverse slot or window 1| formed in front plate 53* offrame 55. Said index plate ll! also bears horizontally spaced charactersor markings Iii each of which registers with the series of verticallyspaced characters carried by indicator strip 57. An additional orsupplementary index plate M -similar to index plate "w -and transversewindow H may be provided as illustrated in Fig. 4 to register wi h theprojecting portions of the indicator strips 61 so that by comparing thevarious projecting portions of the strips 51 with the registeringmarkings of the index plate lil an indication of the proportionatethicknesses of a sheet is available.

The scales H3 and 10 are both graduated in irons, horizontally. so thateach of the graduations which shows the various thickness-es of theleather registers with one of the indicator strips 61. Each of thesestrips 5'! is numerically graduated and is projected longitudinally inregister with one of the horizontal thickness graduations w of theindicator 153. For instance, if one strip 61 has been actuated fivetimes as number 5 carried on this strip will appear in window H inregister with a thickness graduation m of indicator H1, thus an observerwill see that five points on the leather at which gauging has beeneffected are this thickness. In this manner all the strips 61 areactuated in accordance with the varying thicknesses of the leather.

The strips 51, thus actuated, will also appear,

within "the window H projected at various heights beyond thesupplementary index plate lll to provide a visual indication-in agraphical fashionof the proportionate thicknesses of the hide operatedupon by the machine.

Simultaneously with the release of pawls 53, 64 pawls 55 disengage fromthe teeth of a common ratchet drum l2 secured to a shaft 13 transverselymounted between sides 49 of frame 58. One end of shaft 13 projectsthrough a side 49 and is adapted to operate a counter 'M-in the form ofa disc having spaced 'circucmferential markings le disposed adjacent theface of said side 49. The counter is housed within a casing or cover itprovided with a window or opening The opposite end of shaft '53 extendsthrough its adjacent side 49 of frame 58, and secured thereon is awinding pulley or drum 15 around which there is coiled a portion of arope or chain l6, to the free end of which there is fixed a Weight (notshown) which returns the counter through the medium of gear wheels 13 13to its normal zero reading in the resetting operation.

Drum i5 is provided with a ratchet wheel Tl integral therewith and whichis normally engaged by catch l8 of a holding lever l9 pivotally attachedat its lower end to a side 49 of frame 50 by means of a coiled spring88, so that when link 59 is moved upward by crank arms 58 an extension59 strikes holding lever l9 and causes catch #8 to disengage fromratchet wheel l! to free ratchet drum l5 for re-setting as beforedescribed: by this arrangement drum l2, shaft 13 and counter M can onlybe rotated by step-motion.

In operation, as a sheet of material is passed over feeding rollers 22of table 24, feeler wheels I, being independently maintained in contactwith the adjacent surface of the moving sheet by means of springs is,will individually move up and down in accordance with variations orunevenness in the thickness of the sheet, to cause oscillation of theirrespective bell crank carriers 2, 5, which, in turn, and through themedium of the coupling links 3, ill and i3, horizontally reciprocateinresponse to the vertical displacements of the feelers l--the selectorbars l5 and their actuating arms 35. Simultaneously, opposed pairs ofthe crank rollers 28 of discs intermitten ly and successively engagewith respective selector bars l5 consequent on the off-setting ofrespective pairs of crank rollers 23, to cause, by such engagement,intermittent vertical displacements of bars 55 and so the actuating armsmounted upon same. Consequent on each upward displacement of individualactuating arms 35, the particular bar ii! of the vertical frame or leverstructure in vertical alignment with the actuating arm 35 now operatingis engaged by the latter and raised and swivelled forward withinadjacent spacing plates 4! about its axes 45, 45 accordingly, soimparting-through the medium of its associated parts and pawl 53-limitedstep motion to the particular toothed indicator strip 51 engaged by saidpawl 53 consequent on abutment of extension it of lever 43 against aside of channel 38 said strip being held in such position by itsassociated pawl 65. In this manner, each actuating arm 35 is moved byits selector bar l5 (during a complete revolution of driving shaft 25)underneath and horizontally across the series of bars 45 in order toautomatically select and operate any one of same, according to-thevertical displacements of individual feeler wheels I as a sheet ofleather is being passed under same and consequent on the varyingthickness thereof.

The indicator strips 61, thus moved upwardly in carrier frame 68, appearwith the characters they bear for observation through transverse windowor slot ll, each character being in register with a horizontalgraduation I'll of index plate 10. At the same time, each step-by-stepmovement of each indicator strip 61 has been imparted to counter 14(consequent on pawls 53 imparting step-motion to ratchet drum 12) whichshows a reading through casing opening 14 to indicate the total numberof registrations or movements as they are made by the series of operatedindicator strips 61.

On noting the readings of each particular indicator strip 61 inconjunction with the registering graduations '10 of the index plate 10,an observer will be aware of the number of points at which gauging hasbeen effected and the thicknesses of the leather at these points, aseach step movement of individual strips 6! constitutes one point ofgauging and the registering mark of the index plate 10 indicates thethickness of the leather at such point.

The indicating strips 61 and counter 14 are re-set to zero positions bymeans of handle 60 as hereinbefore described.

It will be obvious that any other suitable mechanism may be utilizedbetween the actuating elements 33 and the indicating strips or markers61 and counter 14, to attain the object of my invention; also, with theaid of some such modified mechanism the indicator strips may be arrangedto operate in any desired angular position from vertical to horizontal.Further, whilst, for convenience of description, my invention has beendescribed with reference to the employment of a plurality of feelerwheels and parts associated therewith, I desire my claims to includeapparatus adapted to the use of a single feeler wheel only.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:--

1. Apparatus for use in the grading or selection of leather according tothickness, characterized in that it includes feeler elements adapted tooperate upon the leather in such manner as to rise and fall with samedue to varying thicknesses, and a graduated indicator; a series ofindicator strips adapted to register with said indicator; and means,movable to positions to actuate any of the indicator strips, disposedbetween each feeler element and said indicator for automaticallyselecting and individually operating said indicator strips only when theparticular thickness for that strip causes said means to be brought intocorresponding position in response to the movements of respective feelerelements and in such fashion that said indicator strips register withthe indicator to provide visual indication of the thicknesses of a sheetacted upon by the apparatus.

2. Apparatus for use in the grading or selection of leather according tothickness, comprising feeler wheels adapted to be yieldably andindependently maintained in contact with the surface of a sheet ofleather immediately above feeding rollers; a selector bar located aboveeach feeler wheel and adapted to be reciprocated within predeterminedlimits in a horizontal plane and in response to the verticaldisplacement of said feeler wheel by mechanism operatively connectingthe latter with said selector; means located below the selector andadapted to reciprocate the same in a vertical plane at suitablepredetermined intervals; an actuating element carried by said selector;an indicator provided with a series of horizontally spaced graduations;a series of horizontally spaced indicator strips provided withvertically spaced graduations, adapted to move in register with saidhorizontally spaced readings of the indicator; and mechanical meanswhereby individual indicator strips can be longitudinally projected bystep-motion to register with said indicator only when the particularthickness for that strip passes beneath the feeler elements and throughupward projection of said actuating element in response to verticaldisplacement of the selector which carries the latter.

3. Apparatus for use in the grading or selection of leather according tothickness as claimed in the preceding claim 2, in which a separateindicator strip is provided to co-operate with each horizontally spacedgraduation of the indicator, and individual mechanical devices areassociated with each indicator strip, such devices being convenientlyarranged side-by-side above said actuatingelement of the selector sothat any indicator strip may be operated by said actuating element onlywhen the particular thickness for that strip passes beneath the feelersand according to the position of said actuating element at the moment ofa vertical displacement of the selector.

4. Apparatus for use in the grading or selection of leather according tothickness as claimed in the preceding claim 2, in which a separateindicator strip is provided to co-operate with each horizontally spacedgraduation of the indicator, and individual mechanical devices areassociated with each indicator strip, such devices being convenientlyarranged side-by-side above said actuating element of the selector sothat any indicator strip may be operated by said actuating element onlywhen the particular thickness for that strip passes beneath the feelersand according to the position of said actuating element at the moment ofa vertical displacement of the selector; said mechanical means actuatingindividual indicator strips, comprising a series of spring pawl and rackdevices associated with pivotal lever frame structures, wherebyindividual indicator strips may be longitudinally projected bystep-motion to register with the readings of the indicator.

5. Apparatus for use in the grading or selection of leather according tothickness, as claimed in the preceding claim 2; in which said actuatingelement carried by the selector includes an arm attached at its lowerend to a horizontal carrier having connection through springs with thetop of the selector and also lateral springs connecting opposed sides ofthe arm with upper ends of rods which guide said carrier, for thepurpose specified.

6. Apparatus for use in the grading or selection of leather according tothickness, as claimed in the preceding claim 2, in which the selectorbars are adapted to be reciprocated in vertical planes by means ofspaced pairs of discs carrying crank pin rollers.

7. Apparatus for use in the grading or selection of leather according tothickness, as claimed in the preceding claim 2, in which the selectorbars are adapted to be reciprocated in vertical planes by means ofspaced pairs of discs carrying crank pin rollers, respective pairs ofsaid crank pin rollers being off-set, for the purpose specified.

8. Apparatus for use in the grading or selection of leather according tothickness, as claimed in the preceding claim 1, in which a counter isarranged to indicate the total number of stepmotions or registrationsimparted to individual indicator strips by an operative connectiontherewith.

9. Apparatus for use in the grading or selection of leather according tothickness as claimed in the preceding claim 1, in which an additionalindicator is provided adjacent the indicator strips in order toco-operate with the projecting portions thereof, for the purposespecified.

EVAN GEORGE WILSON.

